Josh Smith’s expanding roster of Japanese
restaurants offers a
solid lineup of vegetarian dishes, ranging from veggie gyoza to
vegetable sushi rolls. The veggie
ramen, available at both SATO
on Elmwood and University
Heights’ SATO Ramen, is a clear
standout. There are few things
as comforting as a big bowl of
soup, and this vegan ramen is
no exception. It hits each of the
five basic tastes (salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and savory), a key for
well-rounded dishes, and is simply delicious.

The ramen’s broth is made
from konbu seaweed and shiita-ke mushrooms—both of which
impart a distinct umami flavor—
and caramelized vegetables. It is
that deep, sweet richness that
really pops in the ramen, so
much so that even omnivores
will not be missing the meat.
The broth is poured over noodles made in-house, and topped
with piles of corn kernels, bean
sprouts, sliced green onions,
shredded carrot, pickled shiita-ke, and tempura fried lotus root
(at the Elmwood shop, there
are also snow peas and radishes). The vegetables’ bright, distinct colors provide visual pop,
while the sweet vinegar bite of
the mushrooms plays especially well against the rich soup. Eat
the lotus root first while it is still
crispy!

A bowl of the ramen is quite
filling, but consider bulking it up
with some of the additions SATO
offers. At the University Heights
location, that includes menma
(bamboo shoots), fried tofu, baby
bok choy, and minced garlic and
black garlic oil. All of those toppings are vegan; vegetarians and
pescatarians may accept a perfectly funky kimchi or soft boiled
egg. On Elmwood, pickled ginger
is also an option, and the daikon
and bok choy kimchis are devoid
of any animal products.